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Nepal
This Week in AsiaPeople

Nepal’s kabaddi medal at Asian Games shines spotlight on ‘overlooked’ women athletes

  • Family restrictions, poor infrastructure and low wages often discourage many young Nepali women from pursuing sports as a career
  • Such limitations further sideline sports like kabaddi, which also lack the mass appeal of football, cricket or volleyball

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Manmati Bist (in red) of Nepal competes during the women’s team semi-final of kabaddi between India and Nepal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Sports such as kabaddi, which lack the mass appeal of football, cricket or volleyball, are often pushed into the margins in Nepal. Photo: Xinhua
Bibek Bhandari
Anuja Kulung Rai cut classes and rebelled against her parents to play sports, an unconventional choice for many girls in her village in eastern Nepal’s Jhapa district. She cycled for more than an hour and even travelled secretly to nearby cities to train for kabaddi.
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After years of training, the 24-year-old achieved her biggest victory yet this month following her selection for Nepal’s women’s kabaddi team. The country clinched the bronze medal at the Asian Games in the Chinese city of Hangzhou – a historic achievement for Nepali kabaddi players at the Games and a proud moment for the women’s team who took part for the first time.
“I’m recognised because of kabaddi today,” Rai said in a hotel in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu where the team was staying after returning from China. “My parents are relatively happier now.”
The Nepal women’s kabaddi team after winning the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou. Photo: Anuja Kulung Rai
The Nepal women’s kabaddi team after winning the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou. Photo: Anuja Kulung Rai

While more Nepali women are playing professionally today, a lack of encouragement and family restrictions still prevent many young people from pursuing sports as a career. Support from the state is lacking – with inadequate promotion, limited infrastructure and low wages – discouraging many from taking part and leading some of those who do to soon quit.

Sports such as kabaddi, which lack the mass appeal of football, cricket or volleyball, are further pushed to the margins.

Originating in India, kabaddi has a 4,000-year history and has been part of the Asian Games as a medal event since 1990, though the women’s event was not added until 2010. Seven members on each team tag and tackle opponents on a court almost half the size of a basketball court.

Though a popular sport in schools, kabaddi players in Nepal say they hardly get enough professional training – the national team only prepared three months before the Hangzhou Games – and there are not enough national competitions to test and sharpen their skills. Nepal does not even have a dedicated training facility for kabaddi – this year’s women’s team were forced to practise in a table tennis hall before their debut Asian Games match.

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